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This systematic review examines the empirical literature published between 2015 and 2021 on mobile-based microlearning in adult learning contexts. The rapid shift to online learning in 2020 in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the need to explore flexible learning options for adult learners. The convenience of mobile-based learning has increased due to the prevalence and global access to mobile devices. Mobile-based microlearning is an emerging area of research, and in this systematic review we explore ways adult learning contexts – including workplace and higher education – have integrated mobile-based microlearning to support instructional goals. We synthesize nine articles about mobile-based microlearning highlighting findings and implications for facilitators. Our findings showed that mobile-based microlearning is being implemented in various instructional contexts and the included studies focused on effectiveness and design principles. We conclude our review with recommendations for implications for practice.

What do you do when employees want sustained, in-person, dialogic learning opportunities, but the realities of their work prevent participation in such learning events? Microlearning can offer an important solution to this conundrum but also requires careful navigation between design recommendations, learner preferences, learning objectives tied to work tasks, and assessment. This concurrent mixed methods research study uses identical convenience sampling to answer the research question: How is employee learning impacted by microlearning design decisions made to address fundamental contradictions presented by learner preferences and workplace contexts? This study focuses on the case of microlearning lessons on inclusive teaching in a professional development program for faculty at a small comprehensive university in the southeastern United States. Eleven participants’ reflections, contributions to asynchronous discussions, responses to a post-program survey, and submissions on pre- and post-lesson assessments were analyzed through qualitative coding and descriptive and inferential statistics. While quantitative data analysis revealed significant participant learning aligned with lesson objectives, qualitative analysis revealed that learners also engaged in learning beyond these learning objectives. Complementing extensive literature on microlearning for procedural learning, this study provides new insights related to needs assessment, suitable learning objectives, social dimensions, and assessment of microlearning and offers recommendations for designing and assessing microlearning when adapting it to learners’ preferences and workplace contexts.

In higher education, learners often look to instructors to guide their learning process along a prescribed path. This case study explores how 85 students, and their 5 instructors, experienced a microlearning system consisting of microlearning challenges and corresponding micro-credentials. These microlearning challenges were embedded in a higher education course to engage learners in brief, self-directed learning tasks that served as extensions of course content. The microlearning system in this case study, called “tech-flex challenges,” was optional and implemented across five sections of an educational technology course for preservice teachers at a public university in the United States. Findings show that students had favorable perceptions of the system, but low participation rates. Students who completed microlearning challenges enjoyed them and were more likely to engage for learning purposes than to earn a micro-credential. Instructors also viewed the challenges favorably, but suggested that they should be woven into the course as a mandatory element to foster greater attention and participation.

What do you do when employees want sustained, in-person, dialogic learning opportunities, but the realities of their work prevent participation in such learning events? Microlearning can offer an important solution to this conundrum but also requires careful navigation between design recommendations, learner preferences, learning objectives tied to work tasks, and assessment. This concurrent mixed methods research study uses identical convenience sampling to answer the research question: How is employee learning impacted by microlearning design decisions made to address fundamental contradictions presented by learner preferences and workplace contexts? This study focuses on the case of microlearning lessons on inclusive teaching in a professional development program for faculty at a small comprehensive university in the southeastern United States. Eleven participants' reflections, contributions to asynchronous discussions, responses to a post-program survey, and submissions on pre- and post-lesson assessments were analyzed through qualitative coding and descriptive and inferential statistics. While quantitative data analysis revealed significant participant learning aligned with lesson objectives, qualitative analysis revealed that learners also engaged in learning beyond these learning objectives. Complementing extensive literature on microlearning for procedural learning, this study provides new insights related to needs assessment, suitable learning objectives, social dimensions, and assessment of microlearning and offers recommendations for designing and assessing microlearning when adapting it to learners' preferences and workplace contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers fostering future-ready graduates need to master updated pedagogical and technological knowledge, so teacher professional development (TPD) is essential. Conventional TPD activities such as seminars and workshops are limited as they require specific time blocks and lack flexibility. The current study investigated TPD through microlearning courses in online and blended learning modes as an innovative TPD approach in Hong Kong. We applied a qualitative approach and thirty-two preservice teachers in the English language education program participated. The data were collected using questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and observations for data collection. The pre-service teachers' digital competencies were evaluated against an observation protocol based on the SAMR framework and TPACK model. The effects of microlearning and the participants' digital competence needs were also identified. The results revealed how preservice teachers perceived the integration of technology and the challenges they encountered (e.g., design of learning tasks and time management). Based on the findings, personalized and hands-on training is recommended to fulfill teachers' diverse learning targets in applying specific technology and deepen their understanding of technology use. Furthermore, as more conceptual frameworks for assisting microlearning in TPD are necessary, this study can help enrich the underpinning theories for the microlearning design of TPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In higher education, learners often look to instructors to guide their learning process along a prescribed path. This case study explores how 85 students, and their 5 instructors, experienced a microlearning system consisting of microlearning challenges and corresponding micro-credentials. These microlearning challenges were embedded in a higher education course to engage learners in brief, self-directed learning tasks that served as extensions of course content. The microlearning system in this case study, called "tech-flex challenges," was optional and implemented across five sections of an educational technology course for preservice teachers at a public university in the United States. Findings show that students had favorable perceptions of the system, but low participation rates. Students who completed microlearning challenges enjoyed them and were more likely to engage for learning purposes than to earn a micro-credential. Instructors also viewed the challenges favorably, but suggested that they should be woven into the course as a mandatory element to foster greater attention and participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the term microlearning has been around since 2005 (Hug, 2005), it has regained popularity in recent years due to the increasing mobility and competing priorities of adult learners. Today's learners seek smaller, focused lessons that deal with a single topic and can be consumed quickly. Yet, there are still many questions surrounding what microlearning entails, how it should be designed, who it is intended for, and how the learning in microlearning can be assessed. This special issue aims to explore the design, development, implementation, and assessment of microlearning, with an emphasis on designing microlearning experiences with today's learners in mind. After undergoing two rounds of rigorous reviews, four out of the 28 submissions received for this special issue were chosen for inclusion. This editorial note will introduce the special topic, analyze common themes across the selected papers, outline the procedures for paper solicitation and review, present summaries of the accepted papers, and synthesize the key findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the term microlearning has been around since 2005 (Hug, 2005), it has regained popularity in recent years due to the increasing mobility and competing priorities of adult learners. Today’s learners seek smaller, focused lessons that deal with a single topic and can be consumed quickly. Yet, there are still many questions surrounding what microlearning entails, how it should be designed, who it is intended for, and how the learning in microlearning can be assessed. This special issue aims to explore the design, development, implementation, and assessment of microlearning, with an emphasis on designing microlearning experiences with today’s learners in mind. After undergoing two rounds of rigorous reviews, four out of the 28 submissions received for this special issue were chosen for inclusion. This editorial note will introduce the special topic, analyze common themes across the selected papers, outline the procedures for paper solicitation and review, present summaries of the accepted papers, and synthesize the key findings.

Teachers fostering future-ready graduates need to master updated pedagogical and technological knowledge, so teacher professional development (TPD) is essential. Conventional TPD activities such as seminars and workshops are limited as they require specific time blocks and lack flexibility. The current study investigated TPD through microlearning courses in online and blended learning modes as an innovative TPD approach in Hong Kong. We applied a qualitative approach and thirty-two preservice teachers in the English language education program participated. The data were collected using questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and observations for data collection. The pre-service teachers’ digital competencies were evaluated against an observation protocol based on the SAMR framework and TPACK model. The effects of microlearning and the participants’ digital competence needs were also identified. The results revealed how preservice teachers perceived the integration of technology and the challenges they encountered (e.g., design of learning tasks and time management). Based on the findings, personalized and hands-on training is recommended to fulfill teachers’ diverse learning targets in applying specific technology and deepen their understanding of technology use. Furthermore, as more conceptual frameworks for assisting microlearning in TPD are necessary, this study can help enrich the underpinning theories for the microlearning design of TPD.